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Egypt opposition backs Morsi exit call

National Salvation Front terms president's government 'authoritarian', after deadly clashes in Cairo and elsewhere.

02 Feb 2013 20:30 GMT

Egypt's main opposition bloc has backed calls for President Mohamed Morsi to step down, a day after deadly clashes left the government scrambling to contain the fallout from footage of police brutalising a man.

A statement from the National Salvation Front on Saturday signalled a harder line from the opposition coalition which has spearheaded protests against President Morsi since November.

"The Salvation Front completely sides with the people and its active forces' calls to topple the authoritarian regime and the Muslim Brotherhood's control," it said, urging Egyptians to stage peaceful protests.

It demanded Morsi's trial for crimes of "killings and torture" and ruled out dialogue with the presidency until "the bloodletting stops and those responsible for it are held accountable".